Twelve Days of Aussie Christmas
by AriaAlways
Summary: Twelve drabbles about Canada visiting Australia for Christmas.
1. On the first day of Christmas

**~On the first day of Christmas, Australia gave to me~**

Alfred was definitely over exaggerating. Sure, it was warmer here in Sydney than back in Ottawa, but that was to be expected. It was summer here in the southern hemisphere now.

Matthew had spent the past few days in New York with his brother, spending Alfred's Thanksgiving with him before he headed to Australia to experience his first summer Christmas. Alfred had blanched when Matthew informed him of his plans.

"Don't do that, Mattie! You'll never return!"

"Stop being such a drama queen, Alfred. We've been planning it for months. Bruce is very happy to be having me."

"No, I'm serious! The animals, the ocean, the plants, the bugs – the heat! Mattie, you can't even imagine the heat, even when it's cloudy, and raining! You can't escape it!"

But Matthew had ignored his brother, and soon left a worried and dejected Alfred behind him. And now here he was in the (air-conditioned, admittedly, but still) airport, Bruce hurrying towards him with a huge grin.

"Mate! Good ta see ya!" he said, pulling Matthew into a quick one-armed hug.

"Good too see you too, Bruce."

Bruce chuckled. "'S isn't a meetin'. Call me Robbo."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "'Robbo'?"

"'S short for Robinson. Anyway, c'mon, let's getcha bags, our flight leaves in an hour."

"Our – what?" Matthew was pretty sure he'd already arrived.

"Flight! Up ta Brissie. Everyone an' their nanna's done Sydney, I thought ya might like somethin' different."

Only one word had stuck in Matthew's mind.

"'Up'? As in, closer to the equator?" He thought he could feel his stomach dropping.

"Yeah mate, thousand k's north'a here. Brisbane's basically just a big country town, you'll love it."

Matthew wasn't so sure about this anymore. And when they landed a few hours later and stepped into the open, humid air, he made a decision.

Alfred was definitely _not_ over exaggerating.

~**A kookaburra up a gum tree~**


	2. On the second day of Christmas

**~On the second day of Christmas, Australia gave to me~**

As Matthew stood in the middle of the crowd in the square, watching the city's large Christmas tree be lit up, his eyes began to wander through the crowd and along the decorations. As he observed, something began welling up inside of him. He tried to contain it, but soon, he couldn't control himself.

He started laughing.

At first it was just a hastily suppressed snigger, but that only brought more until he was leaning on Robbo's shoulder, shaking with laughter.

The southern nation cocked an eyebrow at him, concerned. "You right there Mattie?"

Matthew took a few gasping breaths, trying to calm himself down. "S-sorry… I didn't mean to, really, it's just…" he paused to snigger again, managing to turn it into a cough, "…don't you realise how ridiculous this is?"

Robbo, for his part, barely batted an eyelid at this comment, settling instead for grinning a little at his companion. "An' just whaddya mean by that then?" he asked good-naturedly.

Matthew paused, taking in Robbo's unusual (but not unwelcome) reaction. "Well… you've got banners and posters full of snowflakes… lights in the shapes of snowmen and reindeer… and Santa Claus in full suit and hat – all in thirty degree heat! It doesn't even snow in this city in winter – barely anywhere in your whole land! Don't you think that's even a little silly?"

It was Robbo's turn to laughed, a full bellied roar, that made the nearby children in the crowd stare. Matthew joined them, thoroughly bemused.

"'Course it's silly! It's whacked! Crazy Pom brings his cold European traditions down here with him, and galah that I am I continue 'em! But," Robbed grinned again, "I am nothin' if not good at adaptin'. Take a butcher's over there." He said, pointing at another lights display. Matthew peered around his companion to look.

In the centre was a flashing gumtree, with a number of Australia's native animals around it. A koala sat in the branches, sporting a Santa hat. An emu wore tinsel around it's neck, and a wombat had a pair on reindeer antlers attached to it's head, accompanied by various others. Above the tree was Santa flying over in his sleigh, sunglasses over his eyes. The sleigh was being pulled, not by reindeer, but by half-a-dozen white kangaroos.

Matthew had never seen anything like it, and it started him laughing again, and Robbo joined him.

**~Two pink galahs~**

**~And a kookaburra up a gum tree~**


	3. On the third day of Christmas

**~On the third day of Christmas, Australia gave to me~**

"Listen up, Mattie, this is important. No matter _what_ happens, jus' keep runnin', okay?"

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "It's just the beach, Robbo. What exactly would I be running from?"

"I didn't say you were runnin' from anythin' now did I? Just keep runnin', don't stop 'til you reach the water." Robbo pulled off his shirt and slipped off his thongs, before dashing off madly, racing across the grass and then the sand, before splashing into the shallow waves.

"Like that!" He called back, grinning in what was probably meant to be an encouraging manner, but in reality he looked a little insane. Matthew removed his own shirt and shoes, as well as his glasses, before deliberately beginning to _walk_ down the slope towards the water.

Something akin to a look of horror appeared on Robbo's face. "Mate! What part of 'run' don't ya get? I'm bein' serious!" When Matthew's pace didn't change, Robbo changed tactics. "So help me Mattie, if you don't start runnin' right now I'll dak ya!"

Matthew paused just short of the grassy patch. "'Dak'?"

Robbo pretended to grab the bottom edge of his shorts and mimed pulling down. Matthew's eyes grew wide.

"You wouldn't."

Robbo's only answer was a wicked grin.

"Of course you would. What on earth is so important about running?"

"I'll tell ya after ya do it."

Matthew sighed. Sometimes Robbo could be as impossible as Alfred. Knowing he wouldn't get an answer unless he did as he was told, he began to race towards the water.

As soon as his feet hit the burning sand, he understood why Robbo had told him to. Within a few seconds he stood knee-deep in the waves next to the island nation, relieved to have the cool water soothing his feet. Robbo clapped him on the back, a wide grin on his face.

"Good work, Mattie! 'D'ja miss all the bindiis too?"

"… 'Bindi-eyes'?"

"Yeah, mate, prickles? In the grass back there, you'd know 'f ya had one'a those buggers stuck in ya foot, trust me." Robbo still seemed to be under the impression that he was being encouraging.

"But… then why did you have me run across there?"

"'F ya run, they don't stick! Dunno why, just don't."

Matthew decided he was going to wear shoes _everywhere_ from now on.

**~Three platypuses~**

**~Two pink galahs~**

**~And a kookaburra up a gum tree~**

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I do remember being told this about bindiis as a child, but I don't know if's actually the case. Seriously, don't walk barefoot on any unfamiliar grass in Australia XD<p> 


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